9 night itinerary

East Tide

New member
Hello, My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon in mid September and I'm looking for a little input.

While we are interested in spending a short amount of time in Rome and Florence, we are not big city people and would like to spend our time exploring and visiting some of the smaller, more manageable towns.

So far I have some up with this

Night 1- Rome have all day the day we fly in and some time in morning.
------- rent car on outskirts of Rome
Nights 2/3 Outside of Orvieto at Locanda Rosati
primary concern is if this area is worth spending two nights?
Nights 4/5 Siena at Borgo Grondaie
explore Siena at night and Chianti during the day, maybe San Gimignano
Night 6 Florence drop car off and spend Saturday/ Sat night in the city
Nights 7/8/9 Cinque Terre- This is the reason we booked the trip in the first place and we really like the idea of spending our days walking and visiting small cafes by the ocean.


I am open to any ideas as I haven't booked anything yet. I chose Locanda Rosati for the "Agritourism experience" andBorgo Grondaie since it is a close walk to the city (but can park there).

I don't have any specific questions other then if it is necessary or worth spending two nights in Orvieto given the time we have.

Thanks so much!
 
10 days in Italy

Dear East Tide,

first of all: congratulations! :D

Second this is the 9 days itinerary I would suggest:

2 nights in Rome
1 night in Valdorcia
1 night in Siena
1 night in Chianti
2 nights in Florence - half day trip to Pisa
2 nights in Cinque Terre

And now I explain the why behind my recommendations.

I suggest you spend 2 nights in Rome because it's the minimum time you need for visiting the most important monuments. Rome is a big Italian city, but it cannot be compared to the big metropolises such as London, Paris, New York and so on. Most attractions are located in the center and are within walkable distance or a few minutes by bus or metro. Think about all the spectacular monuments and museums of ancient Rome, such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Domus Aurea, the Pantheon and so on.

On your way to Tuscany you can stop in Orvieto and spend half day there. It's a nice city and the Gothic Cathedral is stunning. The countryside in its surroundings is certainly beautiful but I'm not sure it is worth spending two nights there. About the farmhouse experience, I think you have to do it, but why in that area? Is it because you are interested in Umbria? If so I suggest you visit Spoleto, Narni, Gubbio and Assisi. You can read this article about spending a few days in Umbria.

Depending on what you decide about Umbria you'll see how much time you have left for visiting Tuscany. I suggest a 5 day itinerary in Tuscany so that you have time to see some of the most beautiful places in the region and in Italy. Valdorcia and Chianti are renowned worldwide for their spectacular landscapes, as well as their good wine and delicious food. There are plenty of small cities and towns, castles and fortresses that are worth being visited. In both areas there are many nice farmhouses. For example Podere Cunina is a relaxing farmhouse in Valdorcia near Buonconveto, a beautiful medieval village, while Il Cellese is a charming farmhouse in Chianti, located near Castellina in Chianti.
If you want more suggestions about lodgings in Tuscany you can look at our guide to Tuscany accommodations with direct online booking with the structures themselves.

Then I recommend at least 1 day in Siena and 2 days in Florence. Both cities are relatively small and their historical centers are completely walkable. I recommend you visit the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and the Civic Museum in Siena. I also recommend you visit Pisa. Half day in Pisa can be enough.

About Cinque Terre they are certainly beautiful and they deserve to be visited, but I think 2 nights are enough. The villages in Cinque Terre are really tiny. I suggest you read the article for a weekend in Cinque Terre. I also suggest you read other threads in the forum to find more ideas.

I hope you'll find my suggestions helpful. Don't hesitate to come back with any other question :D
 
dont' rush, enjoy every day and have fun!

I agree with an itinerary that follows more what Valentina has recommended. If you've never been to Italy before, then you cannot skip Rome! While the city itself can be considered large, the part that holds the main tourist attractions is contained around 2-3 bends of the Tiber river. The Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Vatican - at least go see these in two full days spent in Rome, then leave the city.

I've personally never driven in Rome but have read a lot on other forums that they say that getting out of Rome is a nightmare. So renting on the outskirts is definitely a good idea, because you can more easily get to the ring road around Rome and leave the city. Another solution though would be to take the train from Termini station to Orvieto and rent the car there. It might be a worthwhile idea to consider, to avoid driving around Rome.

Since you mention wanting to spend three nights in Cinque Terre, I wanted to add some info about our experience there. The five villages along the coast are all connected by a trail - are you planning on doing that?
When we went in April, we decided to start in the morning furthest north at Monterosso sul Mare and go down to Manorola since we had booked a night there. We had dinner in Riomaggiore, the last of the five villages. So that gives you an idea of how far and how small they are. The trail is very beautiful so I would certainly recommend doing parts of it - between Riomaggiore and Manarola and Corniglia the trail is basically flat. Corniglia is the only village not at water level, so you do need to climb several hundred stairs to reach it.
All of the villages are small, with a few main streets. Shops, restaurants and cafes are there for the main attraction: the view of both the sea and the villages themselves sitting on these cliffs, all terraced and vineyards all around. Sincerely, the two days were enough to see everything, the trip was magical and beautiful but by the end we were ready to leave as there wasn't anything to do...........but since you will be on your honeymoon, that likely won't be a problem. Hope you have a great time!!
 
Thanks for the help!

We actually changed things up a little bit based on your recommendations!

2 nights in rome in the heart of Campo De Fiori

drive to Siena and spend one night there at Hotel Villa Liberty.

2 nights at Villa Rosa Di Boscorotondo just outside of Panzano in the heart of Chianti Country.

2 nights in Florence at Hotel Colodi in the "old city"

train to CT

2 nights at Hotel Margherita in Monterosso al Mare!

Fly out of Pisa, can't wait!
 
as i posted on another topic. i'm looking for itineraries for tuscany. My wife and I are planning to go on a much needed date. But we are still confused where to go. Tuscany is one of our options, that's why we are checking on websites, forums, to weigh our options. Thanks for this itinerary. We are just planning a 5 day trip though. I'll go through this with my wife.
 
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